It was a breezy day and the previous day had been quiet so we set off on a useful-length circular walk near L’Hôpital-Camfrout, parking on a quiet roadside verge in Mezouguen.
We walked along the now-usual tracks past cows and sunken green lanes to find one of the many inlets from the sea and a pleasant little village, Troaon, where we took a break.
Across the water was Landévennec.
Then up the hill and over to Kerascoët where, not sure how, we misread the map, missed the turning – which was actually glaringly obvious – and walked all the way into L’Hôpital Camfrout and out again instead of following the nice, neat cross-country lane which had been planned. No pictures from this leg of the walk as it was rather fraught. Ah well!
L’Hôpital-Camfrout takes its name from a Mediaeval hospital on a Pilgrim Route to Santiago do Compostelo, and belonged to the Order of the Knights of Jerusalem.
The Church of Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle dates to 1490, but was restored in 1870. It is on the site of a Priory established by Landevennec and was enclosed, with a graveyard, until 1884. The West Doorway is glorious, with statues of saints (Peter and Paul, and a pièta), and coats of arms of donors and patrons (the Vicomte du Faou, Abbots of Landévennec, Sieur of Kerliver), and as always the Bell Tower soars upwards. The statues of the saints and the pièta were only replaced in 1980, and carved by François le Berre of Lagonna-Daoulas in c.1980.
The Apostles in the South Porch (1611) are curious, but I can’t find any further information about them.
Inside the church is quite simple. The stained glass is contemporary. The central panel below is by Auguste Labouret (1955) who seems to have made the window by a new method, using poured concrete. The right hand window is signed the Le Bihan studio in Quimper in the 1965, and possibly the left hand window as well, but I can’t make out the signature.
It is worth pausing here and trying to understand the history of this small town.
Further information
Jean-Yves Cordier is minutely informative, as usual – do visit his blogsites if you are interested in Breton Churches!
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